An Obscure Fortune: An Original KnM Fanfic
by animetomboy2
Summary: How would you express yourself if you had no voice? What if you had none since birth because you were born without a larynx? Sounds interesting, right? Well then come check out my story! It's good I promise. :D
1. Chapter 1: A Voiceless Acapella

**Disclaimer: **I take no credit or ownership of the anime I am using to write this story. All of the characters belong to the creator of the anime. As for the plot of this story, it's all mine. Enjoy!

**Chapter 1: A Voiceless Acapella**

The sky was barely lit as the sun had yet to wake and rise itself from the sleep comfort of night's curtain. (Well, at least where I lived this was true.) As the somewhat pale-blue sky was beginning to become warmer in color, a bird chirped its song outside peacefully. Soon, it was joined by its brethren, them too, humming along with the original tune. Even though I was unconscious to the sounds of their songs, they protruded into my dreams making them soundly serene as well. During the night, the noise of rain did not wake me either, thus, this morning, leaving a light dew on the plants outside with no shelter. I still lie in my bed as the gentle winds wisp through the air. My room, except for the light that was shining through the windows, was dim. Almost no light was permitted to enter, of course the reason being that I did not wish to be disturb by the heavenly flashes of light from the sky's most innocent entity. This room, this was a sanctuary where nothing would disturb you, should you choose to rest here. It is a far off place where even the most unrealistic and fantasy-like dreams dwell. It is where my dreams exist, are kept and stored as well. This was a safe haven for me... my world, my realm, my special place where even reality could not penetrate its dreamy defensive walls. A place, just something that belonged to ONLY me...

The dew on the leaf of the tree that stood just outside the open window of my room, dripped so that the cold and murky water hit my face with a drop. This intimate event sent a stream of consciousness through my body. Then, my oceanic eyes fluttered open, fully obtaining the level of consciousness desired. It was a step by step process, waking up; My body began to slowly moved from the stoic position it was lying in and I began to shake out my limbs a bit, dissipating the fatigue that had plague them the prior night. A yawn suddenly came upon me, my brain needing oxygen to wake itself up as well. Finally, awake and conscious enough to complete a simple task, I decided to shut my window. This small sound in turn caused my mother to dash for my room, she was already awake. It made me question why she was able to hear things close in my room from a whole hallway away. It was as if she had bat hearing or something. But, nonetheless, she dashed for my room and showed up right on cue, as if we had previously rehearsed this. When her form appeared in the door frame of the door that never existed, she smiled at me softly. There was brief moment of silence between us, our eyes never dropping contact. She was going to say something, I knew it. And it was something I wasn't going to like much. A few minutes later it turns out my guess was correct, as her voice broke the silence between us. Her voice, a lone sound, a solo song.

"Good morning." She smiled once more and decided to "grace me with her beauty." I could only smile back and nod as my answer. Realistically, my mother was beautiful. Externally, mostly. However, she could be beautiful internally as well, but, stress had recently changed that.

"So we have an appointment with the doctor today. Get dressed and prepare. We're going soon." And with that she left my room almost as fast as she had come in. Her footfalls faintly echoed in the hallway as she walked. We lived in a palace. It was fortunate for me, I suppose. My family and I were treated with the utmost respect. As a human being, all one can really ask for is respect. But, one of my many thoughts: When is it that the respect becomes a hailing? A mandatory respect? Where does the fine line exist between humane respect and required respect? But, I digress.

As the sun's altitude was now escalated in the cotton candy blue sky, its heat I could feel over the top of my head. My mother and I walked the streets, my ears catching sounds of low murmurs amongst all the small crowds in the marketplace. Some watched me with a careful eye, some smiled and waved to me gleefully, some looked at me with deep and utter disgust. I was not asking for their emotional comfort or approval but, it was understandable, I suppose.

"Good morning princess." A kind woman selling fruit called out to me. I nodded in reply with a soft smile. As a princess, my subjects were important to me, even if I didn't know their names. As a child, your parents are supposed to speak for you. They always make announcements on your behalf or answer questions they think are "too mature" for you to answer for yourself. Since I had no voice my parents continued to constantly answer for me. Truthfully why they did this was to conceal the fact of my voicelessness, but, to others it appeared as though I was still a child that could not hold her own. While I didn't much mind this treatment or take any offense to it, I did find a bit of malice to use in retrospect. I did hold myself as an adult, they just didn't want the people to see me as one.

"Alright, we're here. Remember, act casual." My mother, always trying to put on the show. Maybe she should be in theater. Anyway to her comment, if I could talk, I would have said, 'How could I do anything but?'.

"Hello there Mrs. Himemiya, or shall I say my queen?" The doctor kissed her hand as he greeted her lovingly. What's bad, he was such a kiss up. What's worse, my mother loved the attention and getting showered in compliments every time we went to see him. The flattery really went to her head.

"And, Chikane, you're looking beautiful today. You're becoming such a fine, young woman, my princess." I would have much preferred honesty in words rather than flattery because I am royal. A sigh escaped from my lungs to my mouth.

"Alright. Let us discuss the surgery. Chikane, you may come in if you like. It is your throat after all." The doctor asked kindly and perhaps there were some redeeming traits about him, despite his "wanting to be loved by all" attitude. He motioned towards the door. As he did, I got up and was about to take a step towards the door when my mother shot me a glare, which stopped me in my tracks. I made eye contact with her and then immediately sat back down. Her gaze only softened a bit when I did that, but, the look held the same hardness to it than the original look did. Her voice, however, only rang with a sweet tone to it.

"Chikane, sweetie, you stay right there." I only could nod in response. I couldn't protest or heaven knows what might happen to me by my mother's hands. Their voices faded significantly as they walked further and further away from me, then pulling down a curtain/shade to give them some privacy to discuss some things. I couldn't hear their muffled voices or make out what they were saying, but, I could see two silhouettes speaking to one another. I left the scene at that. But, boredom soon struck and I decided to look out the window, which was really just an opening in the building's wall. Out of it, my eyes caught sight of the most beautiful thing I have ever scene.

[END CHAPTER 1.


	2. Chapter 2: A Crescendo of Curiosity

**Chapter 2: A Crescendo of Curiosity**

There she stood. Golden hair that shined like the sun itself. Amethyst eyes that sparkled with kindness and innocence. And slender form with curves in all the right places. She was beautifully picturesque, someone worthy and matching of the Gods' beauty and radiance. We lived in a kingdom based upon the sun. The sun's design was printed on the stones in the center of the town. It was symbol we all treasured dearly, and it was our signature logo of sorts. This girl entranced me so much I couldn't look away. I was dreamily staring at her, admiring her every movement. I wished I knew what her voice sounded like. I wished we could be friends. I wished many other things that seemed forbidden in this time and age. I found myself zoning out and eventually thinking about nothing, that is, until reality decided to hit me with a 5 ton load of bricks. Remembering what I was thinking was wrong. I resisted to think about them again. I had to keep telling myself that it was a sin. I would never do that to her and she probably would never do that to me.

But, as I had been brought back into my character with reality, I noticed that she was shyly looking back at me with a blush softly staining her cheeks. She was too cute, I decided.

The only thing that was related to the moon in our kingdom was the palace I lived in. It was called, 'Palais de la Lune Bleu." In English that's, "Palace of the Blue Moon." I hadn't a clue why it was named in French, but, I always thought it sounded better that way. More fluid and beautiful. And like all things, there is a story behind why this came to be, but, that is a story for another time. Nonetheless, I silently waved to the girl and she giggled, waving back. I sighed contently. This was going to go much further than saying hello, I would make sure of it.

"Are you sure this will work?" Spoke my mother inside the room she was in with the doctor.

"It has to." He firmly stated. "It's fool proof."

"And it's the last thing we've got, isn't it?" The doctor sighed heavily as Mrs. Himemiya's eyes became downcast in a color, in a shade of darker blue.

"If this doesn't work, I don't know what to do..." He sighed again, rubbing his temples from the constant stress and anxiety. Then, he looked to my mother and smiled softly, almost reassuringly. "But, I'll do my best." She only returned the gesture.

**MEANWHILE...**

"So Himeko! I heard you have a secret admirer." Himeko blushed brighter than any healthy rose in bloom. This was spoke by one of her best friends named Makoto, whom she sweetly called Mako-chan.

"That's... that's..." Her high pitched voice permeated the air sharply as she tried to deny whatever essences of liking someone she was giving off.

"Don't lie Himeko! It's written all over your face. So, come on, tell me already, who's the lucky guy? Do I know him? Is he cute?" She bombarded the shy blonde with questions, wanting to know all the details. Himeko twiddled with her fingers and remembered the encounter she had had today with a boy named Souma. They had been childhood friends, but, recently, he confessed his love to her and she found him attractive, but didn't know what to do exactly. So she only answered as honestly as she could.

"Y-yeah." She giggled a bit and her blush brightened to that of a crimson color. At this time, Makoto found it well enough to excitedly jump up and down and proceed to tightly hug Himeko. This, only caused Himeko to become close to fainting from the amount of color in her face. Makoto's laughter could be heard halfway down the street.

"You like him! I knew it! Oh Himeko! You two have to get together, it'll be so cute! It's like a match made in heaven. And I think I hear wedding bells!" Makoto was so energetic, Himeko couldn't help but laugh at her friend's enthusiasm.

"Mako-chan, calm down." She playfully tugged at her friend's arm, giggling while doing so.

"Alright fine. But, seriously, Himeko, take a chance for one and go for it!" Makoto encouraged the shy blonde to pursue her obvious crush. What Makoto and even Himeko didn't know at the time is that it would shatter the hierarchy of society itself.

**MEANWHILE AGAIN...**

"Good news Chikane!" My mother said happily as she walked the streets with me. For a royal queen, she didn't have much composure. "We're finally going to get you a voice. Everything will be alright, I promise, you'll see." She smiled, brushing my hair a little with her hand. Although I would never outwardly express my boredom with this whole concept, I would most certainly think it inwardly. Eventually we'd made it back to our palace, a good time for me to relax just before the kitchen workers served us dinner. Before and after every meal, I was sure to thank to personally thank all of the servers and chefs themselves for a delicious meal, it's just who I was. Even, my personal assistant, named Otoha, would get a thank you from me whenever she did or offered to do something for me. I'd help the workers of the palace if I could but, my parents will not permit it. They cannot stress enough the point that I am of royal heritage and bloodline and that I was not to ever be concerned or involved with the peasants and their personal lives or work. That always did bother me a little bit.

"I think that was delicious, what about you Chikane?" My father's booming voice bellowed to me in question and for a second, I could have sworn I felt the whole room shake. I simply nodded my head in agreement, it was tasty. My parents, feeling a little lovey, joined hands and smiled at each other, holding their deeply locked eye contact. It was at this time that I excused myself from the table in the dining hall and walked into the hallway with the staircase that was needed to reach my bedroom. But, suddenly, I noticed something peculiar. There were another flight of stairs that led down to a lower level, down to a room, from as far as I could see, was pitch black with absolutely nothing visible. The room itself was submerged in darkness. Even though I've never explored this part of the palace before... it did engage my curiosity...

Quietly stepping as if there were traps set everywhere, I made my way into the black room, my eyes seeming to fade into blindness as the darkness of this location covered its bleak curtain over my eyes, acting like a film to them in a way, and that, only opened my mind more to this curiosity I had found with this place. Though some may say I moved elegantly when I walked, this time that may be false. As I continued to stealthily step further in, my footsteps now making a small pit-patter noise that echoed, my guard was up, one can never be too sure of what lurks in the crevices and the depths of the darkness itself. And that is one reason I loved night; Shrouded in such mystery is the night sky and everything below it is wrapped in its warm blanket until the sun rise in the morrow.

'What is this place?' I thought continuing to step further into this dark room. Suddenly, my foot stepped on something. Failing to notice that it did, I went to take my next step and my feet clumsily got caught together, thus they tripped over one another and in result, caused me to fall forward. But, the fall forward with my arms out was just enough for my finger to hit a switch on the far wall I was approaching setting off a candle, which lit the other ones in sequence. It was light enough now for me to see. Of course I fell straight on my butt, but, the luck of that fall was like a heaven sent blessing. That was all I needed. My eyes had closed tight from the impact but, as they fluttered open, questioningly, I saw the candlelight in the room shining brightly, the fires giving my eyes a purpose. I rose to my feet in disbelief. Thought it was a bit old from the years of not cleaning it, dust had collected of course, it still looked as if it had basically just been built. Before me was a spacious room with a pair of soft soled shoes right beside me. My midnight blue eyes blinked in amazement; A dance studio.

[END OF CHAPTER 2.]


	3. Chapter 3: The Making of a Melody

**Chapter 3: The Making of a Melody**

Down in the lower levels of palace I knew that there were dungeons amongst other secretive things. But, something I'd never have expected to find was a dance studio somewhere amongst the ranks of torture chambers. This simply left me in awe, so much so that, if I had a voice, I'd be speechless. And even now, thoughts never once crowded my mind. It's as if my words had left me a speechless, thoughtless fool.

'That might be what I tripped over.' One thought formed in my mind as my eyes caught sight of the shoes that were messily strewn right beside me. My head pivoted to allow my eyes a full view but, still, this amazed me.

After I got a good look at the place, my legs started to carry me out, locating a water can on a ledge on the wall near the entrance to this chamber. But, on my third step towards my exit, I froze. Another thought dawned upon me, one I couldn't resist...

Suddenly upon my feet were the shoes I had found. I didn't know who they belonged to or why they were here, but, they were a perfect fit, I found. That was strange, two good things happened consecutively to me. Good fortune isn't exactly my thing. Facing in front of me, there were plated glass mirrors adjacent to each other.

'Glass? But that is so rare to find and craft. This must be something custom, it's not ordinary...' My thoughts echoed in my mind. In my mind, I had a voice, but, of course, it was a curse thrust upon me at birth that no one would ever hear this voice but myself. Looking at myself in the glass, my reflection stared back at me. We were one in the same person, the same soul, the same body... except she was braver than I. She could dance, she wasn't afraid to. I wasn't allowed to, or at least that's what I thought.

Slowly and carefully, I began to mold and shape my body in different positions... positions that felt so natural, as if I had done this before. I am honest: I have never danced in my lifetime ever. Dancing, most assumed, was for professionals or for men. Only when a man wanted to dance with a woman would she dance. I was breaking the very balance of society; yes, this thought crossed my mind and then I remembered that I was alone. As long as I wasn't seen, I was safe and secure with trying this out. I moved from position to position - at first slowly, now, quickening the the movements a bit and giving them transitions into one another. These transitions became fluid, almost like the water of a lake or pond or even that of a calm sea. It was in the midst of one such complex move that I realized I had now blinded myself by not looking in the glass and completely moving with the music I created in my head. Was this what it feels like to dance? Was this what it felt like to be a dancer? Is this what it feels like to be free and not for once, not adhere to any rules?

I opened my eyes slowly again and repeated what I just did, looking at my body moving gracefully in the plates of glass. It looked as if I was meant to do this, as if I had been doing this all my life as my movements were pleasing to the eye. Even maybe hypnotizing or absolutely beautifully executed. I wasn't becoming conceited, nothing of the sort; for any reason at all, I just felt empowered with these shoes covering over my feet so delicately. And even in this unlawful shame and personal greed, I couldn't help but smile.

(WARNING: Narrator change.)

I sighed, thinking about the great time I had today as I was walking from the marketplace back to my house. In my hands were bags containing the materials I bought. For the majority of the items counted, they were mostly groceries. But, some were clothing, picked out by Mako-chan. I always did admire her sense of fashion.

My house wasn't much. It wasn't like a palace or a castle of any sort, nor was it alike to any of the residential homes built in the same area. It was more a hut than a home, people would say, but, I was content in living in it. It was something very special to me; where the last memories of my parents still live and remain alive. If something tragic happened to this in which I lost the last things that I have as keepsakes of my deceased parents, I would probably go numb right then and there. Finally, with another few steps I was home. As they say, 'home sweet home' right? I gently placed the bags I was carrying in the kitchen area and grabbed some towels and a robe to bring with me. I wanted to bathe a little bit before working hard to put away the groceries amongst the other items in the bags and of course, prepare a meal for myself. Luckily for me, there was a hot springs right by my house. The proximity of it would be estimated to one block, maybe.

Making sure, for the second time, that I had everything, I headed out to the hot springs. I could already feel the climate's air change from a cool breeze which had chilled my skin, to a warm and steamy bathhouse that gave feeling back onto my body's outer layer. Being that this was a hot spring that the peasants and regular citizens use, it was an open one. You would enter in and begin bathing without having to pay anything. I thought that the nobles not coming blessing. Normally, in a kingdom, like my old one, it'd be the other way around. I was very glad to hear that this kingdom wasn't at all like its motherland.

"Ah." I spoke, the sound of my muscles loosening and my mind completely relaxing.

"Konnichiwa Himeko-chan."

"Bon soir Himeko."

Two people walked by and greeted me with friendly smiles. I smiled back and waved hello to them in response. I was only beginning to realize then how diverse this kingdom really is. The people here spoke all different variations of Japanese, English and French. Diversity is good, it allowed people and the things within a kingdom to prosper. In this kingdom of sunlight, everything seemed so easy-going. However, in my old living place, the motherland to this country (or maybe it was sister, I wasn't sure), had very stringent restrictions and guidelines all subjects must follow. The king instated all peasants would pay extra for services they required the use of and even more for personal services. He proclaimed that everyone who walked upon his grounds daily was his subject and subject to be his servant. This was for whenever he needed immediate or even extra assistance. He forced everyone who inhabited his inherited lands to be able to speak both English and Japanese. If anyone protested, defied, or dared to be different, his men, his knights, would throw the rebel in the dungeons and leave them to rot for the rest of their lives with dusty air and little sunlight. I'd heard some stories from people around town; Some man went against the king and got thrown into the dungeons. Eventually he went crazy, his mind deteriorating to that not comparable to a human's fully functional mind. He claimed that the skeleton of a dead rat in one of the corners of the room was speaking to him. He was driven to insanity. Poor guy. The king didn't even allow freedom of expression. Homosexuals were immediately found guilty of crime and killed off. The artists only painted what he wanted to see. Scribes only wrote what he wanted to read. He ruled that place with an iron fist. That, upon realization with my age was why I moved here. How did I make the decision to come here? Over in the tightly watched kingdom I once lived in, I was staying with a cousin of mine, 3 years my senior. She reminded me that my parents moved to a kingdom to escape this ruthless way of rule. This kingdom they moved to happened to be the kingdom of the sun. And from what my eyes could see and what my senses could pick up, this was a much better place to live than my other home.

The memories of that awful place dissipated as the lovely steamy heat protruded my senses and freed my soul. This felt amazing...

**ABOUT AN HOUR LATER...**

The moon was above my head as the sun had already set on the western horizon beautifully. It was as if it had taken its final bows before the curtain of night shielded the sky until the next morning. When the moon took its place in the sky to shine, being its turn to lead, I left the hot springs, putting on my new robe in exchange for the other old one I was already wearing, and began to walk home once again.

'Today was a very productive day.' I thought, yawning. On my way back, I had stopped in for some quick ramen, not really energetic enough to cook myself something. After finishing the quick treat, I started on my way home once again. Before perhaps escaping the realities of work and my status in life in my dreams, I put away the groceries that were still in the bags in their proper places and the clothing I brought up to my room with me. That night, a dream so unique and vivid came to me...

(WARNING: Narrator change.)

"Chikane!" My mother called out as she was now looking for me.

'Oh no.' I thought, racing hurriedly to the water can I had spotted on the other side of the room and using it to the put out the flames that had ignited themselves in my own clumsy chain reaction. I started with the far wall, the one nearest to where I found the shoes randomly placed. As I was putting the flames out as quickly as I could, I managed to change out of the soft soled shoes I had found and back into the original footwear that was on my feet before I entered the room. (I had tossed the shoes back onto the floor, aside for another day.)

"Chikane? Where are you?" She called out knowing I couldn't physically answer, and yet, she still somehow hoped I would. Her soft voice was getting more meticulous in its increasing emotion and loudness, as well as its incessant search for yours truly. My mother must have spoken my name so much it was beginning to sound weird to me. Finally, I was done and I came up from the stairway, checking if she was anywhere in sight. Nope, the coast was clear! I couldn't very well be caught doing something I probably wasn't permitted to do, so, thinking quickly, I hobbled my way up a few steps on the staircase that led to my room. I assumed a position to make it appear as if I had just been coming down from my room. At this time, conveniently, my mother decided to swoop around the corner in the hall that revealed the staircase, with me on it.

"Oh there you are. Well, you have a big day tomorrow, missy, so please do get some rest. It's for the best, dear." I nodded and headed in the direction of my room. I lay on my bed on my back, my eyes blankly watching the ceiling, just lying there at peace with everything; myself, the world and my mind. At some point, my eyes slowly began to drift closed as sleep cast its feathery and irresistible spell upon me. I fell under it deeply, only to have a unique and yet vivid dream come to me...

[END OF CHAPTER 3.]


	4. Chapter 4: Ambiance of Affection's Aria

**Chapter 4: The Ambiance of an Affection's Aria**

(Narrator change from last chapter.)

The morning sun was shining its bright glow upon the early daytime sky. Just the birds' faint melodies, which were playing sweetly outside, were enough to wake me from my slumber. My amethyst eyes, resembling gems so I was told, fluttered open as a smile curved upon my lips. Stretching my limbs to wake them up as well, I felt my muscles repel me from my comfortable bed. It was like I was a new person, I felt so rejuvenated.

The foremost thing I did before anything else was grab another robe from the set I had, keeping the one I had slept with on. My feet seemed to happily stroll along with me; they were in agreement with my mood. There was just something in the atmosphere today that was lifting. There was something about the air that seemed it could make anyone smile. On my way to the hot springs to bathe, I met up with Mako-chan in the streets.

"Hey Himeko!" She called out gleefully, running towards me full throttle. I was aware of Mako's capability, as well as dexterity, to control her feet to stop but, I still worried that she would crash into my body and we'd both fall over.

"Hello Mako-chan. Ohaiyo." I smiled, greeting her.

"Hey. Were you just on your way to the hot springs?" She had managed to perform the mini miracle of stopping right before me.

"Yes. Did you want to come with me?" I questioned. By the look on her face, I could tell she did want some time to spend with me. I was slightly amused by this.

"Definitely!" She replied and confirmed my guess as we headed out for the bathhouse. This facility was to put our stuff away securely first, then it would be on to our main destination. The hot springs and the bathhouse were two locations to bathe, but, more of the common folk bathed in the hot springs designated for them and more of the rich folk, or those who could afford to get into the bathhouse, went there to bathe. However, there was a section that a commoner could reserve to hold their stuff and that is precisely what Mako-chan and I decided to do.

"So, have you heard anymore from your secret admirer?" Makoto asked gleefully with a small wink added in to give emphasis to the question. I blushed at her teasing comment.

"No, unfortunately, I haven't. I'm sorry Mako-chan." I couldn't look her straight in the eye, I just couldn't.

"Alright, I'll let you off easy this once, Himeko, but, don't think that I'll let it slide again." She said, grabbing me by the head and messing up my hair. I thought that this kind of "friendly gesture" could be considered torture.

"A-alright Mako-chan. I promise, it'll never happen again." I said while giggling happily. We were truly best friends, from the bond we shared to the silly behavior we exhibited, most definitely friends. And it seemed we would always be, till the very ends of time themselves.

"Ohaiyo Kurusugawa-san." A male voice seemed to sound suddenly as my head went forward in response. Mako's did too but, to see who called my name.

"Ohaiyo Oogami-kun." I replied shyly, not making much eye contact with him as well. There was a pink color in my cheeks that retained its position for a while. The boy I was speaking to had brown hair and caramel chocolate brown eyes. He was very handsome, I will admit; he always had been. At even age 7, he had girls of all kinds falling all over him and yet he didn't seem to notice. He was oblivious. But, then again I guess you're oblivious to most things concerning love at that age. Along with being handsome, he was noble. He was almost like a prince, in a way. Well, he was as much a prince to me as he was a good friend. Although we've known each other for quite some time, he still always addressed me formally. I found that only the least bit strange. It was his choice though, I didn't mind it much anyway. But, in some ways, it confused others and made me feel uncomfortable. But, as usual, I learned to live with others' choices.

"How are you today?" He asked, his voice a bit gentler in tone.

"I'm fine. T-thank you. How about yourself?" I asked back, looking for a moment into his eyes. He quickly noticed this and broke our connection and found, suddenly, an interesting sign to look at. His hand began to rise to rub the back of his head, fussing with his hair.

"Oh, I... I'm great. Thanks. So, I see you're off to the hot springs? Oh Ohaiyo, Saotome-san." He nodded in Mako's direction briefly before turning his full attention back to me. Suddenly, upon his face, appeared a small blush which formed on his cheeks rather quickly. I'd completely forgotten about the fact he'd confessed his love to me the other day. It just didn't seem that important at that time, and I couldn't help but feel horrible for the fact that I forgot as well the fact I deemed it unimportant. Actually, a part of me wanted to believe he was joking, and so that is what I was made to believe..for now. But, he looked at us nervously. He was acting rather anxiously... he was asking many questions...: Did he like Mako-chan too?

"Hey." She answered.

"Yes. That was where we were going so, um, maybe we'll see you later, Souma-kun?" I could never look anyone in the eyes, especially when I got the least bit nervous. What was wrong with me?

"Yes. We'll see each other sometime soon again. Sorry to have disturbed you. For now, farewell." He said, bowing. His face was as red as a ripe tomato. For a minute there, I thought he was going to explode. But, nonetheless, he walked away, regaining his composure.

"Himeko Kurusugawa..." I turned with a confused, yet, somewhat frightened look on my face to Mako-chan. I could tell it was her who spoke my name, but she'd never said it like this before. Her voice must have dropped a few octaves and it sounded serious, I instantly became afraid. But, because Mako was my friend, it made me a little worried as well.

"Y-yes?" I answered, meekly.

"Why... don't... you... go for it? He was right there! And right under your nose he went! You're such an airhead!" She pouted and crossed her arms, obviously disappointed in me. This was something she always did when disappointed with me, for whatever reason.

"I'm sorry Mako-chan. It's just... my mind is someplace else today." I looked down. I was unable to obviously look her in the eyes. It was true I didn't like confrontation, perhaps that's the reason I can't hold eye contact?

"Oh? Like where? Wanna fill me in?" She angrily addressed me. I couldn't cope with an angry Mako, especially if her anger was caused from my own fault. I sighed. Makoto was my best friend; I guess it wouldn't do me any good to keep secrets from her.

"Well I had this dream last night and I've been thinking about it ever since. It just seemed so real, you know?" I didn't realize it, but, my expression had a dreamy quality to it and Mako now seemed puzzled. There was a brief moment of silence before she spoke quizzically.

"Wellllllllllllllllllllllll, okay. Because you're being honest with me, I won't press you anymore. I mean, if you're really that uncomfortable, I won't talk about it anymore. I won't even ask about it. Deal?" She semi-smiled. She was returning to her old self slowly and it was then that a twinge of relief surged through my veins.

"Thank you Mako-chan." We both smiled, in full now, and continued on our way.

**MEANWHILE...** (Narrator change)

"Chikane, dear, are you excited? You're finally going to have a voice and soon! Soon! Isn't that wonderful?" My mother stated with glee. She seemed to be more excited for herself than for me, personally. I wondered where she stored all that enthusiasm she had and why it burst free at sporadic times. Again, with no voice, I could only nod in response. In my personal opinion anyway, agreeing is much simpler than disagreeing and it saves a lot more energy.

"Marvelous! I'm so glad you're just as excited as I am!" She grabbed her carefully carved and specially crafted mug filled with her favorite drink and elegantly exited the room. To be honest, I also did believe that my mother's "enthusiasm" was a bit fake. She seemed to be acting or putting on a facade and I could tell why. It was all a show, just for me. But, I'll get into that sometime later. As she left, I sighed. I wonder what my voice will sound like...

Once again, there was nothing to do but anticipate boredom, boredom and even more boredom. No thoughts would dare to reverberate in my mind; my body sitting in a gigantic, but, lonesome estate. Having such a spacious house was nice, but at times, it did get lonely. That was the only disadvantage that bothered me at all. But, it was a beautifully desolate castle; an elegant but solemn place. A place where my dreams were kept safe in the rooms I inhabited with my presence. A place I called home.

"Chikane, my girl, how are you?" My father's booming voice called out to me, an instant smile forming on my face. I ran to hug him, his bulky arms encasing me in a secure way that always made me feel so safe. "I love you too. And I take it that means you're doing just fine. That's good. I'll tell you something Chikane, my sweet daughter; It's really a shame that you were born without a larynx. I would have loved to hear your voice. It is a very blissful moment when a father is able to hear his daughter's voice for the first time. And it is a beautiful but sad thing when that same little voice matures and says something that may even break your heart. But, that's the risk of being a parent, you know you're going to get hurt at some point in your life, the most important thing for me right now is to not let you get hurt." He paused for a moment and then continued, my sapphire eyes meeting his in a gaze. "I predict your voice would be much like your mother's. Sweet and soft yet powerful and strong, commanding even. She has a sort of unique tone to her voice that I love so much. I bet you you could even sing. I am praying, really, that this surgery works. I'm rooting for you." He smiled and kissed my forehead, then taking a longer pause and switching to look out the window nearest him. Of course, his giant arms still encased me while he spoke. "Your voice, I have honestly, longed to hear and now that I'm finally getting the chance to, I will. I'm sure of it. And of course, I'm excited as well. Good luck, my dear Chikane." He tightened the hug we were exchanging to a firm pressure before releasing me with a gentle smile. Love is a very rare thing when it's real and the bond between my father and I was certainly real and eternally strong. Someone once said that the only man a girl can ever really trust in her life is her father. They were right. My father just had this way of making me feel loved, like I was significant and not worthless because of my condition. I could tell, he had a true enthusiasm about him. His words held nothing but the truth. Because of his enthusiasm, I then became enthusiastic about the surgery and it's outcome. Any worries or doubts I had were eased by the courageousness and braveness I was feeling at the very moment. I wanted to know its outcome! I felt as if I could do anything! To this empowering feeling within me, I smiled sincerely to myself. Thinking of my dad and our small conversation I realized how truly great he was; not only as a king, but as a father as well..

But, even with the approaching surgery, my mind couldn't focus on anything else but the dream I had last night. It was mysteriously no, ominously picturesque. It was of me dancing, I remember it vividly...

I was dancing like I had, the other night. Though, now, I was in a mist, a cloud of fog that blocked my vision from seeing anything past the area immediate to me. But, the thing I found most interesting was, no matter how much tired I got, I couldn't stop dancing. It was as if in this dream world, fatigue didn't exist. It was as if there was a spell put upon me that prevented me from ever stopping. At first, it was silent. An acapella dance, no music or sound, no nothing. But, suddenly, a voice, a lovely voice, began to sing. The sound was very faint and in the distance, it seemed. But, it started to grow louder and louder. I noticed from its sound that it was getting closer to me. It fueled my energy even more to continue dancing. The sound was heavenly, almost as if the angels were singing to me. Now, I was beginning to wonder: Was this beautifully melodic chorus of a voice meant for me, to give me momentum to dance? Or was it that, from this mysterious but, wonderful voice alone, I was falling in love with the person who possessed it? Many thoughts were now racing in my mind and it became very confusing for me. But, amidst this wonderfully frenetic dream, I awoke in a cold sweat, panting. The moon's light was shining through the "window" upon my skin. It was shimmering on it so delicately it made it appear as though I were a porcelain doll. Taking a moment to breathe, I composed myself and relaxed back into slumber. It was a rather vivid but, strangely realistic dream...

I recalled it like a scene in a movie I'd just recently watched. It was a dream that brought me great happiness, as I found my lips curving into a smile. It fluttered my heart in all the right places. It truly set me free from this downtrodden reality of mine. It facilitated, for me, an escape. Escapes I couldn't seem to find enough of for me to fully enjoy the splendor life has to offer. My voice was never there for me, and so to communicate, it was never normal. The curse put upon me was also a blessing in disguise, I suppose. For, I had never been able to before speak, and I found my talent for dancing. It always does make me rethink things; What if I had been able to speak? Would I not have been able to dance? There were still so many questions left lingering in my mind and none of them had a sure answer.

And yet all my thoughts could focus on was not just the dream I had, but the voice within it. Whatever the price, whatever I had to go through to get the knowledge I desired; I needed to know who that voice belonged. Who the lovely angel was that possessed the voice in my dream, if it were a thing that existed in reality. I'd search throughout the entire kingdom and that of our mother country to find her and know her identity, for she is someone I would surely never forget.

Now I just needed a plan; It didn't seem likely that I was able to walk out in the streets so casually and find the one that this angelic voice belonged to. I'd have to search through every female in the population of this kingdom and only Kami knows how long that would take. Not only that, but I'd have to be able to communicate in some way with them which just wasn't possible; And according to my mother's rules, I was not to leave the grounds of the palace for the sole reason of exposing myself and my family's secret of the "royal family having a princess who is voiceless". Sometimes, I thought she was more concerned with saving face than her actual flesh and blood offspring.

..So how was I to go about this? I'd need a clever way of doing so. Most of the population works in the daytime and so I assume that most would take turns in the hot springs during nights. That was it! All I'd have to do is disguise myself as a commoner and walk the night streets to the hot springs that the common folk used. If I could sneak out of my palace for a week of consecutive nights, I'd get most of the majority of the female population down and be able to draw my conclusion on who the voiced belonged to. And of course, perhaps there was a chance of seeing that other girl again, the blonde who had a radiance like the sun itself. Perhaps she was the reason the sun always rose in this kingdom. I smiled secretly to myself, my plans would finally work and I'd finally get to meet this voice in my dreams. And you know, thinking about it more deeply; We were a match. My dancing to her unbelievable singing, it seemed fate couldn't have decided it better if it wanted to. So, a pair were we; A silent dancer and a mysterious singer.

[END OF CHAPTER 4.]


	5. Chapter 5: The Relevé of a Rendezvous

**DISCLAIMER: **As I said last time in the last 4 chapters, I do not own anything from Kannazuki no Miko, this is a fanfiction written sheerly of fandom to the anime. Everything, the characters and the use of them belong to the creators of the anime. The only thing that is mine is my idea.

**Author's Note: **Now I know you all are excited for this next part of the fanfic, you gave me wonderful reviews and I simply cannot thank you all enough for your support and your kindness. Now I bet you're wondering what Chikane is up to and how the ever fated meeting of Himeko and Chikane is going to happen, aren'tcha? Well, if you're curious, stay tuned because I have a lovely bunch of words for you coming up that would be the next chapter in the sequence! Let's find out how things go, shall we? Enjoy everyone and I hope you love it. ^^

**Chapter 5: The Relevé of a Rendezvous **

Tonight was the night. I had schemed together a plan that just might be successful should I act upon it properly. I couldn't afford to slip up or I may never see the likes of daylight again, by my mother's ruling. I needed to be careful, sneaky, almost like the same bleakness of night that surrounded my quarters when I went to bed every evening. I supposed the blackness that surrounded me; We did have some sort of connection and it may have symbolized something similar to my lifestyle. But, all of that wasn't important right now. What was, was sneaking out and dressing like the commoners of this kingdom in order to attain the knowledge of who my 'mystery singer' was.

'Alright, it seems I have everything put together.' I thought to myself. My thoughts, they yearned to come out of my mouth and sometimes, I would find myself trying to speak, only, suddenly remembering the cruel and unjust truth that I didn't possess a larynx and to that truth, didn't ultimately possess a voice. My heart was saddened that I couldn't communicate with those of the kingdom, those that I loved or held dear, but it was a pain I was going to have to learn to deal with just a bit longer. I dressed in a cloak. It was my grandmother's when she was still alive and well. She died only recently, passing on to a better state than this reality. My mother handed down the cloak to me, since, anyway, I was closest to her. She thought it would be a nice "gift" to comfort me in my most dark and solemn hours. I found some old worn out clothes in my wooden drawers, the ones that had faded colors and such, and took any sharp object I could find and sliced them a bit in certain places. I know that the people were never this poor and they probably did take good care of their clothes, but one can never be too sure and so I cut them. Once that deed was done, I placed them on my body and the cloak over it all. I placed the hood of it atop my hair, which was tied in a certain fashion so no one would be able to recognize me. I thought I had done a pretty well job of dressing myself poorly, now it was time to see if I could act the part.

I found myself tip toeing quietly out the front entranceway of the palace, I made sure to creep as silently as possible. I didn't want to bump into anything and accidentally knock it over and wake my parents who would surely be angry with me. I didn't want to have one of them catch me, even if none of that disastrous and clumsy stuff happened. I wanted to be like a ninja, silent and stealthy. Just like my presence was not even there. I supposed in times like these, it was good not to have a voice, or else I may have been tempted with the thought of laughter. The good news, I was at the door, the bad; I had to get past it. Quietly, I reached for the handle and looked back to see if someone had caught me. No one yet. I touched the metal of the knob. I could feel my heart pounding so hard it was making a rhythm in my ears. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in, now turning the handle in my hand to the right. I would now need to pull. I started to pull carefully, inch by inch the door was opening to a larger space for me to fit through. When I was sure the door had opened enough for someone of my stature to squeeze through, I managed to weasel my way through the crack and then quietly shut the door. I looked back at the closed door and listened in to see if someone heard the door close and was now chasing after me. To my surprise and luck alike, there was no sound. No one. Both of my parents were sleeping and all was well. Alright! Phase one of my plan complete, now for the other parts. I began to walk away from the palace and towards the hot springs where I presumed people would be.

The nighttime air was cool and breezy. It was crisp and fresh. It was something new I never really had the chance to experience before, and I was glad I was now. How could someone ever miss the thrill of having a secret rendezvous at night? Or perhaps the starting of an adventure under the stars? I looked up above my head, ah, the moon. The moon and all of its beauty shined down on the parts of my skin that were still revealed, making it almost glow in the same light it did before when I was stuck in my room these lonesome nights. Speaking of lonesome, why was no one out on the streets? Were they perhaps all at home? Did I sneak out too late? Thoughts began to pop up in my mind from what seemed like oblivion and then I found my feet carrying me, again, the way I wished to go. Finally, I thought, I have done something for myself, and the feeling was irresistible.

**At the Hot Springs… **

When I arrived at the hot springs, I found several people there. It was quite spacious actually. The waters that people sat in were not crowded at all, in fact, they provided ample space for another person to squeeze in wherever they wanted to. It gave a singular person, like me, the power of choice of where to sit and I had spotted a place for me right away. I stripped down to reveal my naked body, in private of course, and then grabbed my large cloth to wrap around my body for the trip from the changing rooms to the actual springs. I placed my things down on the edge of the waters and started to lower myself slowly into the steamy liquid of the hot springs.

I sighed outwardly. The warm temperature I was sinking into had a way of relaxing all my muscles and loosening tension and knots in them from my royal and stressful life. If I had a voice, I'd be voicing how wonderful this water felt on my skin, especially the previous days and the constant meetings with my doctor for a plan to solve my voicelessness. I found myself completely lost in the calming currents that were soothing me. Every ache, every pressure, every worry were all suddenly dismissed as I sat here in this heavenly oasis.

I bent my head back, closing my eyes some, wanting to find a state of deeper relaxation to fit into. But, suddenly, a meek and shy little voice spoke to me. It was sweet and most definitely from a female.

"Um excuse me?" She was the girl sitting next to me, I could tell by how close her voice was to my earshot. I didn't move drastically from my current position, but I did place my hand up to show her I was listening. "Um, excuse me miss, I hate to bother you, but I was going to ask if you could move over some, if you don't mind." She asked meekly and I nodded, scooting over just a bit so she could have more room. There was no one beside me on the other side and so making room wouldn't have been an issue. As I did that, she watched my form move through the stillness of the water. My refracted body image catching her eye, unbeknownst to me. She watched my ample chest move slightly with my body, and my curves shimmer with the water as it moved in little ripples. She blushed brighter than any ripe tomato I'd ever seen growing in the royal garden. All of her perverse little glances were still unknown to me. I had my eyes closed and I didn't dare to open them yet. But this girl's voice, it cooed whenever she spoke. It caressed the listener's ear gently. It kindly melted your heart to bits whenever its sound was heard. And, the sweet sound of it made it almost seem like it had a taste as amazing as cotton candy. My poetic thoughts were starting to get the better of me, I saw, as my fantasies were resurfacing in the very frontal thoughts of my own mind. That was it. I had to see who this angel was who was speaking to me and so, slowly, I began to bend my head back to its rightful position on my shoulders and after, I gradually fluttered my eyes open to see who was speaking to me. At first, my eyes caught sight of the steam rising from the water, as that was what was in front of me. But, as soon as I turned my head to the left, I saw the same blonde girl I'd been staring at in the streets that day. Well, perhaps staring was a bit of a stronger, creepier word, but nonetheless, here she was.

My eyes opened wider in surprise, finding shock that I was less than 2 feet away from the same girl I was stealing glances at from what seemed like a mile away that afternoon. She looked at my bewildered face and giggled, finding amusement with it.

"Hi." She greeted me. As soon as we had established eye contact though, she looked away and more towards the steam rising from the waters. Now I could see her cheeks in their flushed colors, but that could have stemmed from the temperature of the water. I chose to ignore the pigment of her skin and try to reestablish eye contact with her once again. She had such beautiful eyes. Amethyst. But then I remembered, she greeted me. I smiled and nodded in her direction to show her I had acknowledged that she spoke to me. She slowly began to attempt to look back up at my oceanic eyes, but ultimately found herself failing to. She shyly started to mutter a conversation between us, wanting to talk with me. Much to my displeasure, I couldn't respond, but she didn't have to know that at this moment. Luckily, she didn't recognize who I was, which was even better.

"Uh hello there. M-my name's Himeko, what's y-yours?" She stuttered. She was just so cute and shy too. Well, as I'd discovered, she was a timid soul. A timid soul named Himeko. A soul I wanted to get closer to and bear my own to along the way. But, wait, now she was asking me questions. Questions, I knew I couldn't respond to verbally. Perhaps, if I improvise she won't have to know about my condition. Quickly thinking, I pointed to my neck where my throat would be, if we were speaking of internals, and she looked down to my finger. Her eyes widened in surprise. "So.. you can't talk? Do you have a sore throat?" I nodded to assure her it was just sore and there was nothing else that was wrong with me. She kindly accepted my answer and her expression changed to something sorrowful. "Well, I'm s-sorry your voice is gone, I-I hope you feel better soon and it comes back." She smiled sheepishly in my direction. I smiled in return and nodded to her comment, assuring her I meant "thank you". The air between us was tense for a few moments. It was silent and a little awkward. She had nothing to say and I couldn't say anything. It was quite possibly, the weirdest moment I'd ever experienced in my life, which, truly, was saying something. After a moment or two, she realized that I hadn't answered her question as to what my name was and that my identity was still miscellaneous. She turned to me quizzically, now, for some reason, finding an unusual comfort with staring into my deep blue eyes. I looked into hers curiously and listened intently to what she was about to say. It was like I was becoming slowly addicted to her voice, the sound of it being my euphoric drug.

"H-hey, if you don't mind, you still didn't answer as to what your n-name was, miss. C-could I please know?" She asked, maintaining a gaze with me. I smiled softly and opened my mouth to speak. Strange, I didn't know why I did that. But, she interrupted me before I could pursue on with my actions. "No, no. Don't strain yourself. Y-you shouldn't speak if it hurts or if y-your throat is sore. I'm sorry for asking you to speak when your throat hurts. That's my fault. Oh, um, perhaps you could w-write it somewhere?" She blushed and tried to look around for a parchment of some sort to use for my purpose of answering her question. She sighed, disheartened, when she couldn't find any material of the sort nearby. But, much to her surprise, I gently took her arm in one of my hands and took my other, pointing my index finger firmly, the rest of my fingers, wrapped in a fist. Tentatively, I drew the characters of my name down her silken skin, wet from the water it was just in. The pigmentation in her cheeks darkened into a more crimson like color as I did so, finding the intimacy of our actions quite shocking. I didn't know this, but the only person she let into her personal and most private space was only her best friend, Makoto, the hyperactive girl I saw talking with her the other day. No one else, not even the boy who seemed awkward only around her she let touch her. Could it be that she already trusted me? Did I present something in my form, my eyes that melted her into comfort? I finished the gentle strokes on her arm, gradually letting it go and it fell back to her side as she looked at me, recalling the strokes. "Chikane? Your name is Chikane?" I nodded. "Well that's a pretty name, Chikane." She smiled at me softly, in no special way other than how she might smile at her friends and acquaintances. And yet that small smile, it was as meaningful and warm as one of the sun's rays itself. I pondered if she might be the reason the sun kingdom was always so, bright. Thinking that might be a little dramatic, I ceased to think any of those thoughts and she giggled at me. I watched her movements. She was playing with my name in her head, loving the sound of it and how it perhaps just rolled off her tongue so easily. However, once she caught sight of me looking at her, she shyly stopped doing what she was doing, and blushed, turning her face away from my view.

Eventually, she worked up enough courage to face me once more, no longer feeling the least bit flighty about looking into my eyes.

"So, have you lived here all your life, or did you just move here?" I nodded, then realized that answer was insufficient, and so I placed up a finger to show her it was the first one. "I see, s-so you've lived here all your life. Wow, well, you're lucky then. This seems like such a nice kingdom, and the rules are so much more… acceptable, livable by." Himeko spoke. Ah Himeko, what a beautiful name. "Up till a while back, I used to live in the mother kingdom you separated from. You know the stricter more uptight kingdom. I remember how it was there, and how… stringent everything r-really was. That's why I moved here, to an old cottage I knew I could seek refuge in. T-things were beginning to get so bad over there, and I'd heard it was m-much better over here. M-much more relaxed. So that's why I came here. And even so I still live the life of a peasant, it's b-by no means disagreeable. I've gotten used to my life here some. Especially since I keep meeting n-nice people and I have the greatest two friends anyone could ever a-ask for." Himeko lightly giggled, touching her hands together gently, thinking of that awkward boy, and that energetic girl. At the mention of the two friends, I cocked my head a bit to show I was more curious in that subject than any others she mentioned, but I was listening. "Oh, t-that's right. Here I am talking about m-my friends and I haven't even begun to tell you about them. F-forgive me if that seemed rude at all, Chikane-chan, but-…" Himeko blushed and caught herself again when my eyes widened in surprise. Chikane-chan? But… no one has ever called me that, ever. Not my parents, not any friends I may have had when I was younger, not even those I let call me by my first name. "Oh s-sorry again C-Chikane. I, um, I'm incredibly…" Before she could apologize for calling me that, I lightly laid my hand on hers and touched it, stopping her from saying anything more. I let her know, by that small touch, that everything was perfectly alright and she could call me whatever she wished to. In fact, I liked the nickname. I nodded my head for her to continued and she nodded back. "W-well… um. Their names are Souma and Makoto. Souma Oogami, he's just as regal as a prince would be and you have to wonder if h-he's got some sort of secret life as one. He certainly knows how to meet and greet people. And Makoto, …. Mako-chan, she's… been my friend for ages. We're the best. Nothing's going to tear us apart." She said a little more confident in speaking now. I smiled softly as she finished her explanation and then slowly let go of her hand. I nodded to show her I understood what she was telling me about.

"W-what about you Chikane-chan? Have you got any good friends? I'm sure you must have so many. I mean you've l-lived here all your life, you said." Himeko smiled and I simply, shook my head. "N-no?" She seemed a little taken aback, shocked at the fact that I didn't have many friends to call my own. "Surely you must have someone in your life that means everything to you." Himeko spoke sentimentally, and I pondered that for a moment, looking at her. She seemed to be the only thing that mattered at the moment; Could that count? Then responding once more, I shook my head and she sighed. "Oh … how sad." After a moment, I looked away and she pulled me back to attention when she cried, "I'll be your friend." I blinked. Be my friend? Was such a thing allowed? A peasant and a princess becoming friends? I suppose keeping my royal blood a secret from her longer wouldn't really hurt. I smiled and nodded back.

"G-great, so it's settled then! We're friends!" She giggled, and in her small fit of happiness, offered me her hand to shake. I took it in my own and shook it back, a light grip felt between us. If I wasn't mistaken, the firm grip from her hand told me she didn't want me to leave, or even to just let go. But, being that it would be perceived as the least bit strange, I had to. She knew she must as well, or be regarded with a degree of suspicion, one she didn't want. Finding the same pigment in her cheeks that I did just a moment ago, she giggled and slightly turned away from me, obviously wanting to hide the heat her face was giving off. I smiled at her sideways.

Himeko. That name, I'd remember.

**About 15 minutes later…**

We got out of the hot springs. Too much water was never a good thing for the skin; It was either you stayed in and turned into a prune, or you got out with at least slightly healthier looking skin. I opted for the second choice, as did Himeko.

In the process of getting out of the water, we both stood up and reached for our towels, which, conveniently, happened to be placed on the opposite side we were standing on. In other words, my towel was right behind Himeko, and hers, behind me. I realized that my towel was not nearby me and I began to reach for it, seeing no reason in having been embarrassed. But, Himeko, on the other hand, started to intensely blush and try to look away from my naked glory, reaching for her towel. What was she so worked up over? I stopped reaching for my towel and turned my back to her, so she was able to see a full view of my curves, my skin, everything. I grabbed her towel and turned back around to face her, handing her the towel with a look on my face. I stared into her eyes directly, the gleams seeming to ask: "Is this what you're looking for?"

She nodded and said, "T-thank you, Chikane-chan." Even with her arms hiding most of her tiny body, I was still able to catch a glimpse of it, her small and simple structure, slight curves, small chest, and the perfect complexion of pale, right in front of me. With the lights that were hanging around the springs reflecting on her body, she seemed fit to be an angel sent from heaven. But moments later, she turned to grab my towel as well, and return it to me, just as I had done for her. I smiled and took the cloth from her, wrapping it around my body. She proceeded to do the same as well. After that, I stepped out of the water and placed back on my feet, the sandals I'd worn here. She, of course, without saying, did the same. Once more, she turned and cutely smiled at me. I returned the gesture and that's when she proceeded to walk ahead of me to the changing rooms. We'd have to get our clothes on, after all.

I grabbed my things and she grabbed hers, then we walked to the actual rooms to change in. After coming out, I'd styled my hair and things the best I could without being able to look at them, and as best as I could possibly remember how they were before. I checked my pockets and things to see if I'd forgotten anything; When I was sure I didn't, I headed out of the room and awaited for Himeko to come out. When she did, my eyes were completely taken with her. It was no special occasion, but she did come out wearing a kimono of the most beautiful design. It had small little suns everywhere on the silken fabric that hugged to her body just right to extenuate it in the right ways, at all the right angles. However, on the cloth, just right above her left breast, there was a sun and a moon together in one design, and out of all the other suns imprinted on the clothing, that was the thing that stood out to me the most. It was for that purpose, perhaps, but who would have known that it may just be symbolic of something in the future? I, though, immediately associated it with the kingdom, the palace and the kingdom, both the sun and the moon things that exist together. I found it quite interesting she wore clothing like this. I smiled at her, again subconsciously, checking on her curvature. She blushed and took a piece of her blonde hair and placed it behind her ear to hold.

"D-do you like it, Chikane-chan?"

I nodded.

And off we went, out of the hot springs. I knew I needed to return home before I could possibly get in trouble and run the risk of never seeing Himeko again. Himeko, I imagined, felt the same. I grabbed her arm gently, she seemed surprised, but I didn't mind that. I began to write on her arm. 'I have to go home.' Quickly, she recalled the strokes and pouted.

"You have to go now?" I nodded sadly to her question. She huffed a sigh and then gently took her arm back, placing my hand back in my scope of area. "Okay, well, maybe we can see each other again soon." I nodded and walked over to her, once more grabbing her arm. I wrote: 'Tomorrow?' Immediately her face brightened and she excitably replied.

"Yes!" I continued, as this time, she didn't pull her arm away. I wrote: 'Dinner? Then hot springs?' Now, she did something that surprised me. I knew she could talk, she definitely had a voice and was speaking to me all night. But she grabbed my arm, giggled and lightly wrote on the skin of it: 'Okay.' Now it was my turn to blush. This girl, she never ceased to amaze me.

"So see you tomorrow night then, Chikane-chan." She began to walk away, lightly humming to herself. I remained where I was, looking up at the bright moon that was shining down on me, listening to her birdlike chirp. It was a most relaxing tone of voice and an even more serene tune she seemed to be humming.

_What a lovely voice. _ I thought as I turned the other way and began on my walk back to the palace under the moonlit sky. A few stars were out, but not many. _Himeko. I'll remember you. _ I thought again as I strode along.

And for once, I didn't feel the need to wish upon the stars.

**Author's Note: **Aw, wasn't that a lovely ending? ^^ I know Chapter 5 is rather short, but that doesn't mean you should enjoy it any less. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to actually sit down and write it to the its finish. Of course I'm still continuing the story, but with school and the play I'm cast in, things may be a little slower than usual. So, all of my lovely Kannazuki no Miko fanfic readers, stay tuned for the next chapter in this story. It's sure to be exciting and I hope you all enjoy that one too. I can't thank you enough for all your support and how many of you keep giving me these amazing reviews. It's the encouraging feedback like that that continues to drive me to be a better writer, or at least try harder to capture a remaining audience. xD Anyways all, thank you once again and this is to be continued!


	6. A Break in the Action! Le Apology!

Hellllllloooooo readers! Animetomboy2 here! Sorry for the wait, but I promise you, I'll have all the time in the world in the summer to write more to An Obscure Fortune. I realize the story is growing in popularity and I just wanted to say thank you to you all! It's such a wonderful privilege to be able to have available for writers like you guys and myself. And it's even better and I'm so grateful that you all read and like my stories. It makes me very appreciative, and the comments and reviews I get. Oh they warm my heart!

But that's what I wanted to say as far as the story goes! There will be more, I've just been tied up with school stuff. But the semester ends soon and hopefully I'll be able to pin up another chapter for you guys. I love you all and thank you for reading this story.~ I really do appreciate it. :)


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